Catch a bird by putting salt on its tail.

Meaning: Impossible tasks require absurd methods; chasing what flees demands accepting futility.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

• You can't make ropes of sand. — Attempting to bind unstable elements together will fail; fragile foundations cannot suppo…
• What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. — Fair rules must apply equally to both parties, regardless of gender or status.
• Sweet meat must have some sauce. — Desirable things often require effort, cost, or unpleasant accompaniment to obtain them f…
• One scabbed sheep infects the whole flock. — A single corrupted member spreads moral or practical contamination throughout an entire c…
• A sceptre is one thing, a ladle another. — Different tools suit different purposes; authority and domestic work require wholly disti…
• A mere scholar a mere ass. — Accumulated knowledge without practical judgment or common sense produces foolishness, no…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…